Amber Ocean
by Mugiwara N0 Luffy
Summary: In the sea between the Adrestian Empire and the Leicester Alliance, lies the island nation of Molanu. It is a friend to both countries, but not a true equal. With ambitions to change that, the second prince of Molanu heads to Garreg Mach, being allowed by Lady Rhea to begin a new house that welcomes the different nations of the world. His role goes beyond what he ever dared dream.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem Three Houses. Please support the official game!**

**Note: So I'm updating this first chapter after receiving some good criticism. This is my first OC centric story, so I want to do it right. It'll focus more on Sione's perspective rather than Byleth's, which I had neglected to do the first time around. I hope this is the improvement the story needed! **

Chapter 1

"Kae*… what a waste of our time."

The sun had long sunken behind the mountains. The night was illuminated by the new moon shining above and the stars dotting the sky. For their training, several torches and fire pits were set around, giving the small group of students and soldiers adequate light to see.

Sione Matagi released a long sigh as he swung his war club up and down. He had been through plenty of rigorous training and practiced weapon wielding techniques plenty in his life. It could feel tedious at times, but Sione knew the value of keeping your skills sharp by practicing constantly.

_But this? This isn't training. This is some weak, kid stuff._

"Hmph! If you have something to say, Mister Matagi, feel free to share it with us."

Sione had to fight the urge to roll his eyes into the back of his head. He looked to their professor, an overt mustache sticking out more than anything else about the man.

"Of course not, professor. I'm just thrilled to be here as anybody else." Sione answered with a big grin.

"Good! A foreigner like yourself should feel grateful for the chance to train like this! Now keep going!" The professor stalked off, hands linked behind his back as he held his chin high. Sione's eye twitched as he watched him, half considering 'accidently' tossing his war club into his back.

"Aikae*…"

"Pay him no mind, Sione. We'll be done soon enough." Sione's eyes trailed to his fellow prisoner/classmate, Edelgard. She kept her eyes focused as she swung an axe in the same repetition as he glistened down her face as she swung, but her breath never shortened.

_No time to relax even with training like this, huh?_

"Yes. If nothing else, we could at least consider this a training for our cardio, even if not our technique." Sione's gaze drew up to Dimitri, the blond prince repeating a thrust with a lance. Watching him and Edelgard side by side, Sione half thought that they were competing for the title of most diligent worker.

"In other words, hope that you don't get mister moustache as your teacher." Claude said, a little further from the others as he practiced his archery. Looking at him, he could tell that the Alliance heir was no less enthused about their situation as he was. "I doubt he'll have much to teach you."

"No kidding… half his classes will probably be about his _prestigious _days in the Knights of Seiros…" Sione chuckled to himself. "How long did he last in that?"

"Not so loud, you two. I'd hate for him to make us stay longer." Edelgard glared their way.

"I doubt for too long. From what _I've heard, _professor Vort took a little knick to the arm before jumping for the teaching position." Claude seemed to disregard Edelgard's warning, though Sione knew he wasn't being much help.

"I bet he was afraid to get that caterpillar on his lips scruffed up with actual fighting."

*Snrk*

Sione smirked when he turned to see Dimitri purse his lips, his face a pink shade. "S-Sorry…"

_So the man can laugh, eh?_ Sione smiled. "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone." he winked for emphasis.

"Well, we got a chuckle out of Dimitri. If we can get Edelgard to do the same, I'd say this whole trip was worth it." Claude said, his smile growing a bit.

"Please, Claude! You act as if I have no sense of humor!" Dimitri complained. It was almost enough to make Sione laugh seeing the prince pout.

"Goodness, you three…" Edelgard sighed next to him.

"Oh, come on Edie! Gotta make somethin' of this stupid 'training'." Sione said, nudging her gently with his elbow. "And I _bet _I can figure a way to make you laugh…"

_I do know a few things that would get a reaction._

"Don't you _dare, Sione._" Edelgard's eyes lit up peered into his, a knowing glare burning into him.

"Ack. Fine…" _Guess I can't cheat. _

"Alright, that's enough training for tonight!" Their professor announced, the four lowering their weapons. Sione breathed out in relief, wiggling his arms out to relieve the stiffness. "We'll make camp here and return to Garreg Mach at dawn!"

"Finally! I'd say we've done enough 'drills' for one night," said Claude, walking over to Sione and rolling his neck.

"I hope you spoiled royals learned a thing or two, today!" Professor Vort's voice was as grating as his attitude, Sione holding himself back as the former knight puffed his chest out. "Be sure to clean up anything left over."

The four students quickly went to work, starting a fire and putting away the training targets. It wasn't long before they were able to rest, gathering around the fire and preparing soup for the entire camp.

"It's a real beautiful moon out tonight, huh?" Claude said, making idle chatter. "It makes you forget how dark it can be at night."

"You should see Molanu when the moon's at its brightest. It reflects off the water like a glistening diamond. Sometimes, I'd go out by the shore and just stare for a while." Sione sighed contently at the memory.

"I've heard a great deal about the scenery of Molanu. I hope one day I'll be able to pay a visit myself." Dimitri expressed with a smile.

"You should! You Kingdom boys should be prepared, though. It can get pretty hot depending on when you visit. I know it's nothin' but cold where you're at, right?" Sione recalled what he could about the furthest country to the west.

"Yes. Our terrain is more suited to cold temperatures than warm. If that's the case, I thank you for the warning."

"Look at that, Sione. You're already going to be the first Maloan to probably get a future king of Faerghus to consider visiting their homeland. That's a pretty big deal." Claude smirked at Sione, causing him to laugh.

"Hey, sometimes the only thing you need for good relations is a relaxing vacation, you know?" Sione laughed, nudging Claude in the side.

"Considering what obligations he'll have as king, I wouldn't count on him making a visit to Molanu in the near future. You shouldn't get ahead of yourselves." Edelgard rained on the parade, causing the other three nobles to groan.

"Come on, Edie. We're just havin' a fun chat over food. Even if it's not a sure thing, putting the idea out there is better than nothing." Sione reminded her, causing the emperor to be to tense up slightly.

"Yeah, Edelgard. Not everything we talk about has to be purely business." Claude added with a disappointed head shake.

"As heirs to our respective thrones, words we exchange cannot be done so lightly. Anything involving our countries must be approached with careful thought." Edelgard defended, trying to keep her composure.

"While it's true that my future obligations will keep me from making any immediate decisions, knowing that I'm welcome to visit Molanu if I wish does help for any sort of future negotiations that might occur." Dimitri offered in reason.

"Perhaps, but one should consider their position of power before making such a…" Edelgard's eyes drew up, her words dying in her throat as her brow furrowed. "Someone's watching us."

"Huh?" Sione followed her gaze with the others. He could see several men stood at the top of a nearby hill, torches in their hands. Their garbs were rough and the weapons they brandished were real.

As they stood up, they looked around to see that the guards had also taken notice, quickly moving to Professor Vort.

Sione's expression hardened, arms crossing over his chest as he lined up with the other students. He spared a short glance at Edelgard, but her gaze remained focused on the strangers.

"Hmph! Just some passerbys, I'm sure nothing more." Vort dismissed the guard, striding toward the treeline between them and the men. "Do you have any business with us? Please speak up now, or-"

"Hyah!" A man burst from the brush, a sword in hand raised to swing. Sione felt his eyes widen in alert, watching as their professor just barely avoided being cut across the chest, falling on his ass.

"Professor!" Dimitri shouted, but Sione was first to move. He raised his armored fist and slammed it directly into the bandit's jaw, knocking him on his ass. He soon drew the war club from his back, but it was an arrow from Claude that finished off the man before he could get up.

"_Kill the brats and take whatever gold you can find!" _

"Kae… this isn't good." Sione grit his teeth as sweat trailed down his brow. He backed up while keeping his attention forward, grabbing the professor by the shoulder and pulling him up. "We gotta get out of here, professor! We don't know how many they've got!"

"R-Right! Guards! Y-You and the students will have to-have to fight! Distract them!" Vort tripped over his own words, shaky hands gripping for his sword. "Meanwhile, I-I will… I will…"

What happened next filled Sione with utter disbelief. Instead of standing his ground or even finishing his order, Vort made a quick turn to the left and began sprinting for his life. He even dropped his sword in the process.

"Wha…" Sione was utterly blown away by their professor's cowardice, watching the man's retreating back in a state of shock. "Are kidding me?! Fine, run **kefe***!"

"Sione, we need to go!" Edelgard grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him in a different direction than where their professor ran off. More bandits burst from the brush, but the guards, unlike Vort, stood their ground and clashed with them.

"You students need to run! We'll stay behind and fend them off!" One of the remaining guards said, getting ready to engage.

"Don't do something reckless!" Dimitri said, grabbing his shoulder. "Send a rider out to Garreg Mach! We don't know how many bandits there are!"

"R-Right! Alan, head for Garreg Mach! Inform Captain Alois what's happened!" The guard ordered, another nodding before getting on one of the horses nearby and taking off.

"Too bad they made us walk here." Sione cursed, gripping his weapon as he prepared to fight alongside the others. "Let's get ready to fight!"

"I've got a better idea." Claude announced, drawing their attention to him. He started to move toward the treeline nearest to them, drawing an arrow and firing into the bandits. He struck several, injuring several before doing a mad dash for the forest.

"Don't let him get away! We're supposed to take the noble brats out!" One of the bandits shouted, going in hot pursuit of Claude.

"No, Claude!" Dimitri grit his teeth before grabbing his lance and dashing after them.

"Wait, Dimitri!" Edelgard raised a hand, but was too late to stop him from going. "Those fools…"

"I guess we're all about to be fools. Come on." Sione said, slapping her shoulder gently as he began to run after Dimitri. He could hear Edelgard curse behind him, but immediately start to follow.

"They're all running for the forest! After them!"

* * *

"Hey. Time to wake up."

Byleth's eyes snapped open, her senses immediately on high alert when she heard her father's voice. She sat up in her bed, head shifting toward Jeralt. He was a burly man with an aged face. He wore an orange tunic with a fur collar and plate armor lining his arms and legs.

"I'm awake." Byleth answered, kicking her legs out from her blanket.

"You were rustling a bit. Were you having that dream again?" Jeralt asked, his tone curious as well as concerned.

"Yes. I saw that girl again." Byleth answered, her voice void of emotion, but a small hint of wonder could be heard.

"I see. You described her to me before, but it doesn't sound like anyone I know," Jeralt nodded, rubbing his chin in thought. "Well, for now, set the dream aside. There's no room on the battlefield for idle thoughts. A mercenary's life is throthed with danger, and if you get distracted, it'll be the end of you."

"I understand." Byleth nodded.

"Alright. Time to get packing. Our next job is in the Kingdom, which is a long way from here. Gather your things as fast as you can, we leave at the break of dawn."

"Of course." Byleth nodded again, turning around to gather up her things. Jeralt turned around, eyes squinting as he noticed several of his men moving around outside.

"Oh, great. Are they already waiting for us?" Jeralt huffed, turning toward the door. Before he could leave, a veteran of their company walked inside the room.

"Jeralt, sir! Sorry to barge in, but your presence is needed outside!"

"What's happened?"

"Several young royals asked for an audience with you. They seem to be on the run from someone and requested help urgently."

Jeralt shared a small glance with Byleth, who merely raised her brow curiously. With a short breath, Jeralt nodded before following his man out, Byleth quietly falling in line behind him. As they walked into the torch lit path, Byleth spotted three people standing in wait for them.

"Thank you for taking the time to see us, Sir. Apologies to ask for your attention at such short notice." The one in the middle spoke, formally bowing. He was a handsome young man with short blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a black uniform with a blue shoulder cape dangling behind him.

"What do a bunch of kids want at this hour?" Jeralt huffed, crossing his arms impatiently.

"We're being pursued by a group of bandits. I hope you will be so kind as to lend us your help."

"Bandits? Near here?" Jeralt's voice raised incredulously.

_Strange. We had swept the nearby area for bandits and spotted none. _Byleth thought to herself, wondering where they had come from.

"It's true. They attacked us while we were resting at camp." The sole female of the three said this time. She was a beautiful young woman with striking silver hair and lavender eyes. She wore a red shoulder cape and a similar uniform to the others, red stockings covering her legs as opposed to pants.

"We've been separated from our companions and vastly outnumbered. They're after our lives. Not to mention our gold." The third and final of the group spoke, shaking his head tiredly. He was a stunning contrast to his companions, sporting messy brown locks and golden tanned skin. His uniform was similar as well, only he sported a golden shoulder cape and baggy trousers.

"I'll admit, I'm impressed you're all so calm considering the situation. Just where… wait… that uniform…"

"Jeralt, Sir! We've spotted the bandits!" One of the company men said, rushing up to them urgently. "They're getting close, and will be upon the village soon!"

"Looks like they followed you all the way here." Jeralt sighed, turning back to Byleth. "We can't let them attack this village. I hope you're ready for a fight."

"Always." Byleth nodded. She shifted her attention to the mercenary nearby. "Bring me a sword."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Alright, let's get moving. I hope you kids are-"

"Wait." The young woman spoke, her eyes darting around in alert. "Where's Sione?"

"You're only now noticing? He separated from us while we were running." The tanned young man said.

"Why would he do that? He did not seem out of sorts when the bandits attacked." The blond kid said, urgency now spreading across his expression. "Why didn't you say so earlier, Claude?!"

"Is there a problem?" Jeralt asked, raising a brow.

"One of our pals ran off. Don't worry so much, Edelgard. He said he was going to try and get the jump on some of the bandits, maybe flank them." The golden caped kid, Claude, explained as he shrugged his shoulders.

"By himself?! What was he thinking?!" Blue cape said in disbelief.

"Unbelievable. Of all times to pull a stunt like this…" the girl, Edelgard, huffed, her fist tightening at her side.

"Hey, the big guy's strong. I'm sure we don't have to worry too much about him."

"If you all are concerned for him, thet let's not waste anymore time chatting." Jeralt snapped before whistling. A horse galloped to his side, the mercenary captain hoisting himself up. "Let's head out and meet the bandits halfway. We'll cut them off before they have a chance to reach the village."

"Understood!" The kids answered, quickly drawing their weapons. Byleth noted that Claude carried a bow, blue cape carried a spear and red cape brandished an axe. Byleth was soon armed by the merc from before, fastening the blade to her waist. The four ran along with their company, heading for the outer edge of the town where the bandits were spotted from.

"Byleth! Take the lead and soften up their front line!" Jeralt ordered.

"Right." Byleth didn't miss a beat, running ahead of the group without issue. As she reached the edge of town, she soon spotted several bandits already lying in wait. She didn't waste a moment, sliding across the ground and drawing her blade.

"Wh-What the-" the first bandit blurted before swiftly being slashed across the chest. Byleth tightened her grip on the sword, twisting gracefully as she turned on the other bandits.

"Why you!" The bandit to her right swung his sword sloppily, something the mercenary easily dodged. Byleth weaved around,swinging her own blade with accuracy and knocking the man's sword to the side before bringing her blade back across his chest. Blood seeped from his chest, the man falling to the ground dead.

Byleth turned, the final bandit charging at her recklessly. But before she could dispose of him, an arrow struck his chest, sending him tumbling to the ground at her feet. Byleth looked up, seeing Claude give her a quick salute and wink. Byleth didn't give it much thought, watching as the other two of his group approached.

"Your skills with a sword are impressive! Thank you again for lending us your strength." Blue cape said with an appreciative smile.

"You do have a strange aura about you… but it's not over yet. Show us more of what you can do!" Edelgard said with an eager glint in her eyes.

Byleth simply nodded, motioning toward the trees. "We should move through the foliage, use it for cover. Keep an eye out in case they're using it as well."

"I'll proceed through the open area with my men to try and pull their attention. You and the kids can ambush them while they're distracted." Jeralt said, Byleth nodding in agreement. "Alright, men! Let's move!"

"Yeah!" The mercenaries hooted, following after their leader.

"You guys really know what you're doing. More so than a few mercs I've met," Claude said, running up to Byleth. "Shall we go?"

"Yes. Stick close." Byleth took the lead, running ahead of the three and several mercenaries left behind. They trailed close behind, sticking to the edge of the treeline while keeping their eyes open for enemies. As they moved, they could see Jeralt and his men clashing with several of the bandits. Byleth motioned them to push on, pointing at the backline of the bandits preparing to launch a barrage of arrows.

"We'll take out the backline and attack the others from the rear. Understood?" Byleth ordered, earning nods of approval from the students. "Alright. Ready? Go-"

"CHEEE-HOOO~!"

* * *

_Well, this isn't how I imagined my night going._

Leaves and branches brushed past Sione Matagi's face. He counted at least three men still in pursuit a little further behind. Bandits were more persistent than he would have guessed. Typically they would take the goods left behind after people fled rather than go out of their way to try and kill them. Though that was more of what he expected rather than personal knowledge.

"I see him! He's not too far ahead!"

_Tch. This is what happens when you're tall. You stick out like a stiff thumb. Wait… is that the phrase? Eh. Stupid Fodlan language._

Sione spared a quick look back, checking to make sure the number of bandits following him were what he thought. He was a little mad to see that there were actually four bandits on his tail rather than three.

_Still. Shouldn't be an issue._

Sione pulled his warclub from his back, swinging it high and cutting several branches loose with ease. It veiled the bandits line of sight temporarily, but gave him the chance to hide. Lucky for him, the trees had wide trucks, wide enough that he could hide behind one for the moment. Sione quickly jumped behind a tree, holding his war club close at his side.

"Shit-where'd he go?!"

"How'd you lose sight of him?! He can't have gone that far!"

The bandits passed him without notice. He waited until the last of them passed by before lunging forward with his armored arm.

"Wha-" Sione didn't bother waiting for him to finish, slamming him on the ground with one arm before raising his club.

"_Tatou o e tau le taua!"*_

Sione slammed his club with crushing force, smashing the man's skull in one heavy blow. He didn't bother reveling in his kill, snapping around to see one of the other bandits already rushing at him with a sword.

"GRAGH!" The bandit swiped at Sione's upper body, only to meet air when Sione swayed back and evaded the blow seamlessly. The man fell over from over extending, giving Sione an easy target. He slammed his club into the bandit's back with one arm. His bones didn't survive the force, a crack rang out from the impact as he crashed into the ground.

"Damn it! Get him!" Sione brought his club back up, resting it on his shoulder while using his left arm like a guard when facing the other two. They didn't immediately rush to their deaths, both holding out axes but keeping a small distance.

"Come on, didn't one of you say 'get me'?" Sione gave a smug grin, dropping his guard and daring them to attack by spreading his arms out wide. "You better chop this tree now before it falls right on top of you."

"Why you…" The first bandit to jump swung overhead with his axe. Sione rebutted with a swift left hook, knocking him to the ground before he could land a hit. As the other bandit charged, Sione stuffed his pauldron directly into his face, slamming onto his back with a thud.

Sione lifted his left foot over the bandit, slamming it down on his axe arm and snapping it like a twig. "AAAGH!"

"Shhh, don't make too much noise or your neck will be next." Sione turned away from him to move to the other who was barely picking himself up. Sione cut him off by stepping on the back of his right knee, making an atrocious crack.

"AAAH!"

"Consider yourselves lucky. I could kill you instead." Sione huffed without sympathy, pointing westward. "Now get running. Not toward your pals or my friends. You can limp together to someplace new. Maybe start again, reflecting on your life."

"F-Fuck you!" The broken arm bandit cried, holding the twisted joint. Sione kicked him in the chest and leaned some of his weight on top, holding him in place.

"You think I was kidding when I said I'd snap your neck?" Sione asked, his tone falling low and eyes narrowing. "Look at the friends you lost. Either join 'em or get to limping. I won't give you another chance."

Terror filled the bandits eyes, his body quivering in pain and fear. He slowly shook his head, earning a big grin from Sione.

"Good! Now get going. And help your pal. He's got a bad leg."

Sione watched the two limp toward one another, slowly pulling themselves up. They leaned on one another for support, heading west as bidden. "Don't rob people anymore! If you do, I'll come break the rest of your bones!" Sione called out facetiously, causing them to limp even faster. "Heh. Now, back to the others…"

Sione turned back around and ran through the forest, seeking the path that the others had taken. _I could try to catch up… or I could try and take the leader out at the back._

Sione remembered the stalky leader giving orders to the others. He was big by Fodlan standards, he supposed, but he didn't doubt he was also pretty strong. One on one, Sione would still feel confident about his chances, but he didn't know exactly how many men he would have around him.

_Guess I'll try to find the others and ambush whoever's following them closest. _

He left the brush he walked in after checking for more bandits, keeping a wary eye out as he started along the path the others took. He guessed that it was a town some ways ahead from the way the road was carved, which could have been good or bad news. _I hope that town at least had some guards in it. _

As he got further, he could see the back of several bandits just ahead where the path started to shrink between the trees. Sione moved back into the brush, moving along the side and hoping to go unnoticed.

"What the hell?! Where did those mercenaries come from?!"

"Looks like they were already in the village! Go and send word back to Kostas!"

_Mercs in the village? Talk about lucky. _Sione moved closer to the bandits, thankfully unnoticed. He watched the messenger run by, a little annoyed he wasn't close enough to catch off guard. He didn't think on it too much though, silently moving next to the remaining bandits holding the line. Peering past them, he could make out a bustling battle. The bandits were clashing with the mercs, and it didn't look like they were getting anywhere near the village. _Well, might as well do my part. _

The remaining bandits readied their weapons, preparing to join the fight as the mercenaries pushed harder. Sione cracked his neck side to side before rolling his shoulders. _Let's get to work. _

Waiting no longer, he burst from the brush with his war club raised.

"CHEEE-HOOO~!"

Sione delivered a crushing head blow to the first bandit in range, causing him to slink forward into the dirt. The others quickly turned in alarm, raising their axes for a clash. The archer among them drew an arrow and took aim, only for Sione to weave his shoulder back and dodge in the nick of time.

Two bandits rushed him at once with axes cutting through the air. Sione responded by bringing his warclub up and smashing it into both of their stomachs, knocking the wind out of them and sending them sailing back into the ground. He drew his gaze up, beginning to charge toward the archer who shakily notched another arrow.

But just before he could reach him, the archer gasped, his body tensing up before falling to the ground. Sione raised a brow until he saw his body fall limp, revealing an unfamiliar woman close behind him with a sword in her hand. She had dark blue hair and eyes to match, while where a strange armored chestplate with a black cloak draping her shoulders.

"I'm guessing you're not a bandit?" Sione asked. Before he could pursue the question, he watched as Dimitri and Edelgard burst out of the brush behind her, both finishing off the bandits Sione had downed with his earlier strike. "Hey, guys!"

"Do not just 'hey' us after you ran off! What were you thinking?!" Edelgard scolded , glaring daggers into his eyes. Sione could feel both her concern and annoyance leaking out.

"Hey, come on now! I told Claude to tell you guys!" He defended sheepishly, looking past her to see the man in question give him a smile.

"Perhaps we can shelve this discussion for later." Dimitri suggested, bringing Sione's attention to him as he stabbed his spear through the stomach of the last bandit. "The mercenaries seem to be pushing through the bandits quite easily. Perhaps we should run ahead and finish off the others?"

"I'm up for Dimitri's plan. Shouldn't be too many left, now." Sione said, resting his weapon on his shoulder and looking over the ridge of the treeline. "There. I can see the bandit leader with the rest of his flunkies by the lookout post."

"We should be able to handle the remaining bandits. Follow me, and we'll engage." The new woman said, her voice stoic and emotionless.

_Where'd they find this lady? _Sione couldn't help but wonder as he fell in line with the others behind led them back into the foliage, using the cover to proceed unseen.

"So uh… can't say I'm caught up on everything. Mind telling me who our guide is?" Sione whispered to the others curiously.

"Byleth. I'm a mercenary." She answered without looking back. "Our company was in Remire Village nearby."

"Ah, that explains that. Thanks."

"You would know that if you had stayed with the group." Edelgard huffed, shooting him a sideways glare. "What were you thinking?"

"Oh, come on, Edie! I was doin' it to try and give you guys some time to run." Sione defended, doing his best to sound confident in his approach.

"It would have been better for you to stay with us, Sione. It would have been regrettable if something unfortunate occurred," Dimitri suggested, shaking his head next to him.

"No use thinking about it now. Enemies close." Claude pointed out,causing Sione and the others to slow down as they approached the clearing by the watchtower. The bandit leader stood at the center while several men marched alongside him, a clatter of shouts and confusion erupting around them.

"Mercenaries were in the village?! What kind of bad luck is that!" The leader huffed, gritting his teeth. "Tch! It doesn't matter! Once we find those noble brats, kill them, and we'll high-tail it out of here!"

"That's the leader right there. I saw him give orders earler," Sione pointed, glancing at the others. "Should we charge in? Doesn't seem like much else we can do from here."

"Not much room for strategy in an open field like this. We'll just have to use the element of surprise while we have it." Claude agreed, drawing back an arrow. "Just tell me when."

"Alright. Stay back in the treeline, Claude. The rest of you will cover me as I head for the leader." Byleth said, tightening her grip on her sword.

_Going for the leader right off the bat? Sheesh! _Sione couldn't help but be impressed by her confidence.

"You're one tough lady, huh? Alright then. Let's do this!" Sione smirked, charging out of the brush and slamming his club down on the first bandit in range. His head hit the dirt with a crack, ending his life in a flash.

Edelgard rushed in after him along with Dimitri, the two slashing their weapons across several bandits before they could try and ambush him. Sione quickly turned his weapon up and slammed it into the side of a bandit blocking the path leading to their leader. He watched as Byleth charged past, heading directly for her target. When another bandit tried to block her way, Sione saw an arrow soar into the man's chest and take him down.

"Nice shot!" Sione laughed, raising his boot and planting it into the chest of an incoming bandit.

"Huh?! Who are you supposed to be?!" Sione heard the bandit leader, turning his gaze a bit to see their mercenary friend take him head on. Byleth nimbly dodged his wide swing before bringing her blade around to slash it across his chest. But the bandit leader was experienced, quickly shuffling back and avoiding the attack. He charged again at her, raising his axe in the air and snarling. She didn't have time to dodge this time, blocking the axe with her sword. Byleth strained against the man's strength, eyes narrowing as she pushed back against him.

_He makes big, wide swings with that thing. _Sione criticized quickly. _He doesn't pay enough attention to where he's swinging it. Guy's full of openings. _

"You're not bad… but not good enough!" The bandit growled, lashing out with a foot and kicking Byleth in the stomach. She stumbled back from the blow but quickly found her balance. Sione saw that his attention was directly on her, disregarding the rest of them. Seeing his chance, Sione slammed his armored fist into another bandit, knocking them out cold. He quickly moved toward the leader, doing his best to make as little noise as possible. It was easy with all the sounds of battle going on around them.

_Let's finish this now. _

Sione watched as Byleth evaded another wide swing, this time the bandit leader ended up lodging his axe into the ground.

_This guy makes it pretty easy, huh? _

"Get back here, you little-"

"Hey, buddy!" Sione announced himself before

Positioning himself perfectly on the bandit's opposite side of Byleth. He slammed his foot into the ground and raised his club overhead with one arm. _"Alu ese*!"_

"Wha-"

The bandit leader didn't have time to react as the club slammed across his chest, causing him to choke in pain before being lifted off his feet, flying back from the impact. Sione admired his handiwork, watching the thug smack into the ground before turning to Byleth.

"Hey, good teamwork!" Sione grinned big, resting his war club on his shoulder. "Sorry if I cut in on you. You seemed fine, but I saw an opportunity and took it."

"It's fine." Byleth nodded, her eyes curious as she relaxed her blade.

"GRAAGH!"

Sione snapped his head back to their supposedly fallen enemy. The bandit leader hopped to his feet, growling in anger. "You bastards! I'll make you pay for that!"

"Huh. This guy's pretty tough." Sione said, mildly impressed by the man's fortitude. Byleth was ready in an instant, standing just next to the Maloan native. "Well, come on then, pukio*. Let's do this!" Sione challenged, raising his left arm up as his guard while resting his warclub on his shoulder.

The bandit growled in frustration, gripping his axe as he looked ready to charge them. Instead though, he looked past the two and grinned deviously. "I'm not gonna leave here without killing at least one of you, brats!" He suddenly dashed away from the two, Sione's gaze to the side to see Edelgard.

"El!" Sione cried out without thinking, fear suddenly filling his gut. Sione dashed forward as fast as he could. But Byleth moved faster than he did, attempting to head the bandit off before he could reach Edelgard.

Edelgard drew a knife as the bandit leader approached, seemingly prepared for a clash. But Byleth moved without thinking, pushing her back just in the nick of time.

_Shit! Is she gonna make it?! _Sione grabbed the handle of his club with two hands and flung it forward.

"You'll die!"

What happened next was too fast to process. Sione's club narrowly missed the bandit. He had already swung his axe. And unable to stop it, the mercenary had taken the axe in place of Edelgard. Sione felt guilt and anger swell up.

Until it was completely erased, and time was reversed.

* * *

Byleth could barely process what had just happened. The young girl. The stopping of time. So many questions swirled in her mind, but she, ironically enough, had no time to dwell on them.

"GRAAAGH!"

Byleth watched as the bandit leader hopped to his feet, all in the exact same way he did before.

"You bastards will pay for that!"

"Huh. This guy's pretty tough. Well, come on then, pukio! Let's do this!"

"I'm not gonna leave here without killing at least one of you brats!" Byleth narrowed her eyes, following his line of sight and immediately dashing a moment before him as the bandit raced for Edelgard.

"El!"

Byleth was already there though, turning on a dime and facing the bandit.

"You'll die!" He roared, only for Byleth to quickly disarm him with a swing of her sword. The force was enough to send him hurtling back.

"Are you alright?" Byleth looked back at Edelgard, the young woman staring at her in awe.

"Y-Yes, thank you."

"Hey!" Claude called out as he and Dimitri ran to meet them.

"E-Edie!" Sione ran over, looking down at Edelgard in concern. He breathed in relief when he saw her unharmed, shaking his head. "Man. You scared me for a second."

"I'm fine, Sione." Edelgard brushed off his concern, but smiled.

Sione nodded in understanding before slowly turning back to the bandit leader. He was not dead yet, slowly climbing to his feet. Sione's face flashed with anger, his hand gripping around his war club tightly. "So, that's how you wanted to play this, huh _Alelo*? _Get your ass up!"

"Hey!" The five turned their heads to see Jeralt galloping over on his horse, the mercenary captain looking around in surprise. "Did you just-"

"The Knights of Seiros have arrived!" A voice boomed around them, drawing attention up to the hill closeby. A man in fancy white armor stood by with a proud grin on his face. "Surrender, bandits! Though it will not save you from being cut down for terrorizing our students!"

"The Knights of Seiros?! Shit!" The bandit leader pushed off the ground, he and the remaining bandits in his company immediately turning tail and running.

"Hey! Get back here, _pukio*_!" Sione demanded. He was only stopped from pursuing when Byleth raised her arm, blocking his path. He snapped his head toward her, fury flashing across his face for a moment before stopping himself. Byleth watched as he allowed his anger to subside, sighing in relent. "Sorry. Thanks."

Byleth nodded, sheathing her sword as she watched him relax his shoulders and put the war club on his back. _Is he quick to anger, or was he that concerned?_

"Hey! After them!" The knight from before ordered, several of the knights around him giving chase to the bandits through the forest. Byleth turned around with the others as the man approached, though his attention seemed to be glued to her father. "Captain? Captain Jeralt?! Is that you?!"

"Ugh… why him?" Jeralt groused, dismounting from his horse and walking to meet the knight. Byleth spared a look back at the students for a moment before catching up to her father and standing at his side. _He knows a knight?_

"I can't believe it's really you, captain! It's been twenty years!" The man blathered on with a grand smile. "It's me, Alois! Your old right hand man! Well, I always thought of myself that way, at least. That aside, I couldn't believe I'd see you like this after twenty years of being missing!"

"You haven't changed a bit, Alois. Just as loud as ever. And enough with this 'captain' nonsense. I'm not a knight anymore. I'm just a wandering mercenary these days." Jeralt shook his head tiredly before turning to leave and pulling Byleth by the arm. "One who is very busy. Goodbye, old friend."

"Ah, I see. Goodbye, captain…" Alois stood there in minor disappointment before shaking his head. "W-Wait a second, that's not how this reunion can end! I must insist that you accompany me back to the monestary, at least!"

"Garreg Mach Monastery… I knew this day would come." Jeralt sighed in resignation.

"And how about you, kid? Are you the captain's child?" Alois asked, causing Byleth to tilt her head in thought.

"I was a bandit, but being his kid seems more convenient now." she answered with a stony expression. _I believe I nailed it._

"Oh, boy…" Jeralt shook his head with veiled amusement.

"Hah! You really are Jeralt's child! She clearly shares your sense of humor!" Alois bellowed with laughter. "I'd love for you to see the monastery too! You will join us, won't you?"

Byleth looked at her father curiously, wondering if he was really planning to go along with this. Jeralt gave her a short nod, causing her to do the same. "Sure." Despite giving her the go ahead, Jeralt let out a long breath in disappointment.

"What's troubling you, captain? You're not going to run off again, are you?" Alois asked in concern.

"Even I wouldn't dare run from the Knights of Seiros." Jeralt shook his head, following after Alois. Byleth made to move, until-

"_The Knights of Seiros… they must be quite skilled." _

Byleth's eyes darted around, but soon realized it was the voice of Sothis in her head.

"_Don't be too alarmed. I said I would act as your guide, did I not? Ah, but it seems presence is required. Well, don't keep them waiting."_

"Hey!" Byleth turned her head to see Claude waving her over, he and the other students standing together off to the side. Byleth set the voice aside for now, walking up to meet the four.

"I appreciate your help back there. Your skill is beyond question." Edelgard complimented with a thankful smile. "And from what I gathered, your father is Jeralt… the Sword Breaker? Former Captain of the Knights of Seiros? Oft praised as the strongest knight to ever live. Am I missing anything?"

"He was?" Byleth asked, raising a single brow curiously. "He didn't tell me much about it."

"Your own pop didn't tell you he was a big shot knight? That's pretty strange," Sione wondered aloud, putting his hand to his chin. "Why's that?"

Byleth could only shrug in answer. "Guess I didn't ask."

"Huh. I wager that the reason for that is quite interesting on its own…" Edelgard said, tilting her head in question.

"I'm sure we'll have some time of our own to figure that out. You are coming with us to the monastery, right?" Claude said, giving Byleth a slick smile. "Oh, and I suppose I should tell you, the four of us are students at the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery. We were running training exercises when we ran into those bandits. I definitely got the worst of it."

"That would be because you ran off." Edelgard accused, turning her gaze up to Sione. "Something you and Sione seemed to think of together."

"Hey, don't toss me to the fire, too!" Sione complained, holding his hands up despite the amusement lacing his words. "I did that to get the jump on the bandits, you know?"

"And I did it to drag some of the attention away. But since these three decided to follow me, we ended up dragging _all _of their attention to me. Utterly ridiculous." Claude sighed in disappointment.

"I see. While Sione's ploy was more nobly intentioned, I don't believe I can say the same about your 'strategic retreat', Claude." Dimitri looked at the golden caped student in disappointment. "And here I was thinking that you were trying to act as a decoy to help us."

"His intentions were clear as day. You won't make for a very good leader someday if you blindly trust the words and actions of others so easily." Edelgard admonished, drawing Dimitri's gaze to her.

"Hm. And I daresay that you won't make for a good leader either if you look for deceit behind every word and action of others."

"And just like that, we're riveted by another regalling debate between their Highnesses." Claude sighed, rolling his eyes. "How utterly predictable. And I daresay that this discussion smacks of-"

"Alright, alright. That's enough flexin', don't you think _uce_*?" Sione broke in, walking over and draping his arm over Claude and Dimitri's shoulders, showing just how much taller he was than both of them. "We've got a guest standin' with us, listenin' to you guys go at it. Aren't royals supposed to show some courtesy to guests?"

Dimitri and Edelgard looked at Byleth, who had stood by and continued to watch in silence, her expression curious with a small hint of amusement, some would think. They shifted somewhat in embarrassment, while Claude gave a small laugh.

"Well, it's hard to argue on that one, big guy." Claude unhooked himself from Sione's arm. "Please excuse us for boring you with our politics."

"Yes, there is something I must speak with you on instead." Dimitri cleared his throat, offering a smile. "The way you held yourself in battle was captivating! You never lost control of any situation, and were splendid with your blade!"

"Yes, which is precisely why I must ask that you consider lending your services to the Empire." Edelgard cut in with surprising eagerness.

"Oh, boy. Here we go." Sione smirked, crossing his arms under his chest.

"I might as well tell you now. I am no mere student. I am also the Adrestian Empire's-"

"Halt, Edelgard. I must ask that you allow me to finish my own proposition." Dimitri cut back in, turning to Byleth with just as much interest. "The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is in dire need of exceptional individuals such as yourself. Please consider returning to the Kingdom with me."

"Wow, you two sure are hasty. Trying to recruit someone you just met. Tactless, really." Claude scoffed, placing a hand on his hip. "I was personally planning to develop a long lasting friendship with our new friend before begging for favors. But it looks like there's no time for niceties in this world." He shifted his gaze to Sione, who had yet to speak on the subject. "Before we get any further, you planning to toss your hat in this ring, Sione? Do it while you can!"

"Hm? Me?" Sione raised a brow as eyes fell to him. He looked around at the others before letting out a laugh. "Nah, I think I'll pass. Molanu isn't exactly desperate for a mercenary right now, no matter how good. No offense to you, milady."

"None taken." Byleth nodded in understanding.

"Still, you must at least appreciate her skill. Even if naught for need, having someone with such talent could prove well to your future endeavors." Dimitri pointed out, only for Sione to shrug.

"Maybe. But honestly, I'm sure any of you could put her to better use than I could. So feel free to climb over each other for our new merc friend." Sione said, motioning his arms toward Byleth.

"So sayeth the second prince of Molanu. Just don't say I didn't give you a chance," Claude chuckled before turning to Byleth. "So, why don't we let her decide. By the way, in case you weren't aware, I'm from the Leicester Alliance. Now that you're clued in, tell us who has you more interested?"

Byleth's gaze trailed across the students one by one. Each of them fascinating in their own way.

"_Hm… it seems that one's place of birth has great significance. Yet these students were so impressed by you that you may pick whom you please. Well?" _She heard Sothis in her ear, making an effort not to flinch.

Her gaze landed on Sione by chance and locked onto him. _Their desire for my sword is strong… but…_

"You're from Molanu? The island nation?"

Sione blinked, raising a brow at Byleth.

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"I cannot make a decision as of yet. But I am curious about your nation, as I know little about it." Byleth admitted, holding her chin in interest. "Would you tell me?"

Sione stared at her for a moment before a big grin split across his face. "Sure! I'm always happy to talk about my home. We may not be a grand nation like Faerghus or the Empire, but we Malaoan's are every bit as strong and proud."

"Thank you." Byleth nodded.

"Alright, that's enough with the small talk!" Alois came back, addressing them all. "It's about time that we headed back!"

"Looks like we'll have to shelf this discussion for another time." Claude said, he and the others following after Alois.

"I'll give you the details when I get the chance." Sione grinned again before walking after the others.

"_They are all in such a hurry… and yet… each of them is most unique, wouldn't you say?" _Sothis spoke again, causing Byleth to hold her chin in thought. _"But what drew your attention to the tall one?"_

Byleth spared a glance at Sione again, watching him converse in friendly banter with Claude, the two laughing. _It's true that I have an interest in Molanu. I know very little of it. But…_

She could see it. Sione was keeping her in the corner of his eye, even as he spoke with the others.

_He gives off the impression of a friendly, bumbling giant. But I can feel his gaze, cautious and wary. He's not so simple as he'd like others to believe._

**To be continued…**

**Well, here it is. The beginning of my first long running, OC focused, singular franchise story! This is certainly a new one for me, as I generally only write and read (with some small exceptions) crossovers, as you'll see from my favorites and writing catalogue. **

**But, I have to admit, Three Houses really grabbed me. I've done my Golden Deers(best house btw) and Blue Lions playthroughs and thoroughly enjoyed both! I've been itching to write a story that would do the game justice. But I couldn't think of the right series to cross it over with…**

**But, as it happens, I was actually coming up with ideas for stories that revolved around Polynesian cultures. And that's how this came to be! **

**Sione came to be when I wanted to make a character based on my roots of Samoan descent. I had thought him up some time before playing Three Houses, but wasn't sure what I wanted to do with him overall. But when I got through the game, I couldn't help but want to write this story with him as a central protagonist! OC's usually aren't my thing, and I barely read stories that use them, but I do hope that you'll give him and the story a chance!**

**And, along with Sione himself, comes the island nation of Molanu, which will have its own backstory to dive into and be revealed with time! I figured that if I was going to introduce a islander type character, I had to do it right :)**

**Just a heads up, Sione's language will, at times, be spoken in Samoan. Not that the Maloan dialect is completely Samoan, but it is derived from similar tongues. Though I think I'll only pull this trope when he's cussing or in brief moments of conversation. I'll be sure to give translations for each word!**

**Tatou o e tau le taua!=Let's go to war!**

**Kae=shit**

**Aikae=eat shit**

**Kefe=bitch in this situation, can also mean fuck**

**Alu ese!=Get lost!**

**Alelo=Bastard**

**Pukio=asshole**

**Uce(abbreviation of Uso)=Brother**

**Anyways, that's it for this first chapter. Don't worry, it won't always be from Byleth's perspective, and will shift soon. But I wanted to sort of introduce Sione to the group from an outside perspective and show his dynamic with the others through such. You'll all have to wait and see how deep things will go with him. With that, I bid farewell, please leave a follow, a favorite and a review if you'd be so kind. Considering this is my first OC focused story, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome Back to Amber Ocean! After the Ashen Wolves DLC, it was only appropriate to do a complete update to this chapter and change things up. For more info, check out the end chapter notes!**

**Disclaimer; I own no rights to Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Please support the official release!**

Chapter 2

"There's so much you've missed, Captain! The tales I have to share!"

Jeralt sighed rather audibly as Alois continued on his usual rant. Twenty years, and Jeralt could still see the same kid who he'd made into his squire on a whim. Not that he hated Alois, or even detested their conversations. In fact, he was feeling rather nostalgic, speaking to him now like old times.

_But boy, can he drone on… _Jeralt thought with a minorly amused smirk, watching Alois motion his arms dramatically as he tried to paint a picture for one of his escapades.

Jeralt decided to check on Byleth while Alois continued, his eyes going back to the group of students walking in line with his daughter. Notably, Byleth seemed to be interested in whatever the tallest one was sharing with her, her dark blue eyes watching him as he seemed to regale her with his own tales.

"Hey, Alois." Jeralt finally spoke up, causing his former squire to pause. "That tall brat… is he from Molanu?"

"Aha! As attentive to detail as ever, Captain! Indeed, Sione Matagi is from Molanu!" Alois grinned, giving a thumbs up. "In fact, he's the second prince of the Molanu kingdom!"

"What's a Maloan prince doing attending the Officer's Academy?" Jeralt asked with an incredulous brow raised. "They're not considered part of Fodlan."

"Indeed! But a little over five years ago, the late king of Molanu started talks with Lady Rhea to arrange for his son to attend the Officer's Academy! Apparently he made a rather strong case with her, as Lady Rhea accepted! It's taken some preparation, but this year is the first with the newly created house!"

"A new House, huh? What's it called?"

"The Jade Whale House! Named after the symbol of Molanu's flag! Though, speaking honestly, the House isn't strictly for Moloans!" Alois declared.

"What do you mean?"

"The late King of Molanu wasn't just pitching the idea for a House dedicated to his own people. He pleaded the case for a House that would accept royalty both in _and _out of Fodlan!"

"What? And Rhea accepted?" Jeralt never considered Rhea to be against any other group of people. He remembered the time she saved a village of Almyran refugees from attack by an Alliance lord. But this seemed a little further beyond her typical act.

"She did! Though admittedly, I believe she was skeptical at first. To get nations like Dagda and Almyra to send their nobles so far from home is difficult to believe, especially with certain shaky relations. But the king was insistent. Apparently, he even helped convince the Almyrans to participate."

"Molanu's always had good relations with Almyra, but that… still sounds inconceivable…" Jeralt mused, stroking his chin in thought.

"I believe it was because of his proactive approach that Lady Rhea accepted. She sent out an envoy to Dagda to offer the same. An envoy would have been sent to Brigid, but the Empire was already hosting their princess. That aside, just last year we received our answer, accepting the offer." Alois continued before his face morphed into a grim expression. "Ah… if only he could have seen the success of his work."

"I heard the previous king of Molanu died close to four years ago. What happened?" Jeralt asked curiously.

"It was tragic. Apparently he was on an envoy to the Empire when his ship was attacked by Almyran pirates. He was slain in the battle before the pirates fled like cowards." Alois said, a pained and frustrated look on his face. "I actually knew Jaffa quite well from his visits… the world is a dimmer place without him."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Jeralt said, showing some sympathy for his loss. He spared another look back at Sione and Byleth, the giant student seemingly animated in his conversation with his daughter. "What's his son like?"

"Sione? Quite a man himself!" Alois said, smiling again. "He was elated when he arrived at Garreg Mach! He's a rather simple lad who, while he does like to relax, has taken his acceptance at the academy quite seriously. I'm sure his father would be quite proud!"

"I see…" Jeralt shot a glance back again, watching the Maloan prince curiously. He seemed like a man without a care in the world, walking alongside the others with a relaxed disposition.

"Ah, look captain! We've arrived!"

Jeralt drew his gaze away from the students, a mixture of dread and nostalgia twisting his stomach.

"Garreg Mach…"

* * *

"About time we got back!" Sione spread his arms wide, cracking his back as he and the other House leaders walked through the Garreg Mach's front doors. He spared a look at Byleth, the mercenary looking around in interest. "You and your pop are planning to hang around, right? Garreg Mach's quite a sight for new people."

"It is. But I'm not sure about our plans." She answered honestly, her eyes still drifting around the rustic walls of the monastery.

_I really can't get a read on this lady._

Sione's gaze shifted to their path, but kept Byleth in the corner of his eye. She was a woman of few words, obviously, but Sione hadn't been so sure if it was veiling some hidden personality or it truly was a natural disposition. The Maloan prince had used her supposed interest in his homeland to try and see what she might react to. He spoke loud and pridefully, wondering if she may find his antics entertaining or an annoyance. Anything to give him an idea of how she actually felt.

But she didn't react in any way. She didn't laugh or wince. She just watched him, somewhat intently. Sione sometimes thought she was merely humoring him, but she seemed to take whatever information he gave and saved it in her mind. She even answered right whenever he asked if she needed him to slow down.

_I can't tell if she's genuinely interested, or just taking information and looking for ways to use it practically. Maybe both. _

Sione wasn't sure how to feel about Byleth at this point. If her attitude was as cold as her disposition, he could see why she would be a good mercenary. For better or worse. _If one of these guys really do convince her to join them, they'll definitely have a strong sword at their side._

"There you all are!"

Sione drew his attention up, feeling some relief as well as fear when he saw the class

Retainers lined up at the top of the steps of the entrance hall. Hilda was the first to speak, waving kindly to the royals, specifically Claude, as she and the other retainers moved to meet them. As they arrived, Sione could see Byleth looking around at the students before walking ahead to leave them alone. _Guess she felt out of place. _

"Hey, Hilda! So glad to see you were waiting for us!" Claude grinned as Hilda stopped in front of him.

"Well, you know how it is… these three were pacing all night when they heard what happened with the bandits. So I volunteered and decided to help them keep their heads on." Hilda did a cutesy head tilt.

"It's good to see you unharmed, your Highness." Dedue spoke to Dimitri, the only man in the school comparable to Sione in height.

"Thank you Dedue. You needn't have worried too much. Thanks to our new friend, we came out of the debacle relatively unharmed." Dimitri explained. He moved to motion to Byleth, only to blink when he noticed her absence. "Where did she-"

"She slipped off to catch up with her pop." Sione pointed out for him

"I do hope those _bandits _were dealt with accordingly. A group so bold that they might risk attacking nobles are dangerous indeed." Hubert spoke, his usual dark tone seeping with venom.

"It's nothing to be concerned about. I'm sure the Knights of Seiros will deal with the rest of them soon enough." Edelgard reassured her retainer.

"No kidding. We didn't have much problem ourselves taking them on. They won't be an issue for long." Sione shrugged.

"Even so, they were still an issue!"

Sione gave a nervous grin as Nafana stepped up to him, knuckles on her hips as her expression radiated concern and frustration.

"True, I guess… but nothing to get all worked up over now." Sione said, trying to defuse his cousin's temper.

"Don't act all tough, Si'ne! All of you could have been hurt or killed if you got careless out there!" Nafana huffed, her eyes immediately going to Edelgard. "Which reminds me, _Edie. _later we-"

"Not now, No'fa." Sione said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"This isn't up for discussion! We need to-"

"_No'fa_. Not now."

Sione didn't like to use an assertive tone with his cousin. Mostly because he was often too afraid of what his cousin would do when he gave her lip. It felt like an abuse of his position as prince against his retainer.

But sometimes, he had to let her know when he meant business.

Nafana stared back up at Sione, her brow furrowed as she tested his will. Sione only kept up his smile, but never breaking eye contact. _This really isn't the time. _

"Awkward~..."

Hilda's not so subtle comment drew their gaze to her, the pinkette covering her mouth. "Sorry… I thought I said that a lot quieter…"

"Heh, sorry about that. Perhaps we should get going. I'd hate to intrude on such a personal discussion." Claude chuckled, walking away with Hilda swiftly following him to the dining hall.

"I'm sure our friends are all waiting to hear back from us. We'll take our leave as well." Dimitri said, bowing politely before turning toward the exit with Dedue.

Sione felt some relief at the broken tension, sparing a glance at Nafana to see her release a breath.

"Right… sorry." Nafana said, looking up at Sione and giving a soft smile. "I'm glad you're safe, fwam*. All of you."

"Me too, cus'." Sione smiled before leaning forward and hugging Nafana.

"Nafana." Sione drew back from his cousin to look at Edelgard, his small bit of apprehension returning as the two locked eyes. "I promise that we will speak of certain things later."

"Yeah. I'll hold you to that." Nafana nodded firmly before her eyes drifted to Hubert. "Or more specifically, I'll hold your _retainer _to it. He does love being your secretary, after all."

"I'm sure I could jot you down for a specific date. Though I must attest that Lady Edelgard does have quite the full schedule." Hubert tried to maintain his usual strict demeanor, but Sione saw the smallest smirk crack at the corner of his lips.

"You better knock me to the top of that schedule. I'd hate to have to shine a bit of light on that pale skin of yours." Nafana's voice conveyed a more humorous tone, a smile tugging at her own lips.

"I receive all the sunshine I need when you're around, Nafana. Be it warm or scorching."

"Smooth, vampire boy. How long have you been waiting to use that one?"

"_O'ka*. _There they go again." Sione rolled his eyes in amusement as he looked at Edelgard, the heiress failing to keep a smile off her own face. "Can these two just get a room already?"

Sione paid for the comment when he felt Nafana's righteous hand jab him in the ribs, coughing a short breath as he started to laugh.

"Pukio…" His cousin glared daggers at him, teeth gritted in annoyance. As usual, Sione watched as Hubert straightened up, doing his best to act casual again.

"Come, Lady Edelgard. Our classmates will want to see you as well. They're waiting for us in the classroom."

"Of course. Let's not keep them waiting any longer." Edelgard nodded, shooting Sione a quick look. "I'll drop by later so we can discuss some things. I'm sure your class is missing you as well."

"Probably not as much as yours, but it's a nice thought." Sione chuckled, giving a small salute. "See you later."

"Come on. They're all in the training grounds." Nafana waved a hand for him to follow.

"The training grounds? Why not in the dining hall or something?" Sione quirked a brow.

"Zai and Balthus wanted to kill time with training while waiting for you. Meanwhile, Yuri was making a case for whether or not he should assume leadership of the Jade Whales or just up and leave all together."

"I'm not gone for a night and I'm already being usurped, huh? Real loyal house we got," Sione let out a dry chuckle.

"They all figured you'd be alright. Yuri was mostly joking. Though he said it with that 'but in the worst case' kind of tone." Nafana shrugged, leading Sione through the dining hall to cut through. Looking around, Sione saw Claude standing with his own class, all attentive as he explained what happened.

"Hey, Sione! Good to see you back, man!" Raphael called out as he noticed the Maloan prince.

"Hey, Raph! You know I'm too buff for some bandits to topple!" Sione grinned, flexing his arms to emphasize.

"I figured as much! No one can beat my lifting partner!" Raphael laughed, flexing his own arms for emphasis.

"Good grief. You two and your _muscles_," Lysithia sighed, shaking her head.

"Hey, keep drinking your milk and maybe someday you'll be ready to join us, Lysithia."

"As if! And I don't drink milk! I'm not a child!"

"Hey, is that cake on your cheek?" Sione pointed at his own lip, causing the white haired girl to flinch and cover her face. "Ah-my bad. Guess I'm just seeing things."

"W-Why you…" Sione saw Lysithia's cheeks burn as the majority of her class tried to hold in their laughter.

"Anyway, gotta go!" Sione jogged to the door to escape Lysithia's wrath, laughing as he got outside and waited for Nafana to catch up.

"You just love to poke fun at that girl." Nafana rolled her eyes in amusement.

"She's fun to tease. Though honestly, I kinda like everyone in Claude's class. Even Lorenz in a weird way."

Sione considered many of the students in Golden Deer to be rather quirky when compared to the Blue Lions or Black Eagles. Each one had their oddballs, sure, but Golden Deer felt like nothing but oddballs. They were all simple in a way, and Sione liked that. It was honest.

Of course, many would call his class the bigger oddballs by comparison. But they had different kinds of issues to deal with.

Sione's eyes wandered as they passed through the courtyard, his eyes scanning across the fishing pond and the people moving about. The water often gave him a small bit of nostalgia. It hardly compared to the sea that Molanu sat upon, but it was the closest he was going to get so far inland of Fodlan.

_Pond fish suck compared to the big tunas we'd catch, though._

As they passed by the dormitories, they spotted Dimitri and his class. Sione and Nafana gave small nods in hello, most of the class returning it in kind. Annette was the most fervent in her greeting as she waved wide to them.

"She is just the biggest ball of sunshine." Nafana smiled as they got further from the Blue Lions.

"Oh? Found another girl to adopt?" Sione grinned in kind, causing Nafana to laugh.

"You're one to talk! You act like you're everyone's big brother or something!"

"And you don't act like you're every girl's momma here?"

"Eh. I don't know what you're talking about." Nafana turned her head away. "I just look out for girls who need it."

"Whatever you say, momma hen." Sione chuckled, earning a small slap on the arm in return. They soon reached the training grounds, the two passing by Jeritza as they entered. Sione gave the training instructor a curt nod, only to receive no response in return. Once the doors closed behind them, Nafana and Sione groaned.

"O'ka. What a friggin' stiff."

"I'm surprised he didn't issue another challenge to you." Nafana shook her head. "There's something wrong with his head."

"Pretty sure it's more than just that." Sione shared a knowing look with Nafana.

It wasn't long until the two were inside the training area, the loud grunts of two young men filling the air. As the two approached the open platform, they were met with the sight of two fighters, one smaller in size compared to that of his opponent. Both battled with training gauntlets, sweat glistening off their skin as they traded blows. The smaller of the two, Zai, evaded a swooping hook, springing up with his weight and smashing into the taller man's, Balthus, jaw with a rising uppercut. As the larger of the two stumbled back, the smaller pushed off his front foot, putting distance between them but remaining light on his feet, almost as if skipping in place.

"You took a real big hit there, B. Try not to get too hurt." An amused voice echoed from the side of the ring, Sione turning to see a tanned skinned, red haired girl he knew was Hapi.

"Honestly. Couldn't these two barbarians pass the time in a much less beastly manner?" A short haired, pale skinned girl, Constance, grumbled out her disapproval.

"Hah! Like that's gonna stop the mighty King of Grappling!" Despite Balthus' boast, he did rub his chin. "Now if only I could **grapple **him."

"When you have a mighty title like that, it makes it pretty easy to guess what you're going for, you know." Zai smirked, circling Balthus with light footfall, ready to pounce.

"He's got a point, Balthus. Perhaps try changing your moniker so people don't so easily guess what you might attempt." An amused voice echoed from the other side of the ring, Sione soon meeting eyes with the lavender haired Yuri. "But I think that's enough for today. After all, our esteemed house leader has returned."

Eyes shot up and moved to Sione, his classmates meeting him with relief and smiles as he moved to join them. "Nice to see you're all in such dire straits over my previous situation. It means a lot, really."

"Hah! I knew you'd be fine! Anyone who can best me one on one better survive some trivial bandit attack!" Balthus laughed, puffing his chest out.

"Even you would have trouble with low numbers, B. But yeah, I think we were confident you'd make it back fine, Sio." Hapi gave a small smirk. "You don't look like you were hurt, at least."

"Verily! We had quite a bit of faith that our prestigious leader would come out of the fray without a scratch. Of course I, in my ever prevalent generosity, had offered to fly out to the field on my pegasus." Constance placed a hand on her chest, sticking her nose up. "Alas, the knights of Seiros deemed it unnecessary. So we decided it best to stay put."

"Of course, not before Constance kicked up a minor racket in protest." Yuri smirked as Constance stiffened, glaring at the lavender haired young man. "I can't say I didn't account for your demise, but I'm pleased to see my bet on you was well made."

"Glad I didn't put any actual money on it." Balthus laughed.

"You bet I'd die?" Sione raised a brow. "What was that about knowing I'd be fine?"

"Nah, it was more for sport than anything else! Part of why I didn't bet money! No need to read too deeply into it," Balthus rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"Personally I was more thinking how pissed off I'd be if you died out there after so many strides were taken to get me to attend Garreg Mach." Zai crossed his arms. "But either way, good to have you back."

"Sorry, Dagda, you don't get to go home that easily," Sione smirked, nudging his shoulder. "Well, happy to see you all were so concerned for me."

"He's fine now. Can I go?" The group shifted their gaze to a particularly muscular woman, Kharin, leaning back against one of the stone pillars of the training hall. .

Sione smirked at the prickly Almyran, spreading his arms out toward her. "Ain't ya gonna give me a hug first? I almost died, after all."

Kharin scoffed, pushing off the pillar and walking past him. "Here I was hoping I'd get to head home." The group watched her leave, Sione rolling his eyes before turning back to the others.

"How'd you guys get her to come?"

"I volunteered Balthus to spar with her. She didn't realize it was a little get together until after everyone else showed up," Yuri smirked. "I figured it was only appropriate for us all to be together at least."

"You're so thoughtful, Yuri. I'm touched." Sione laughed, placing a hand on his chest dramatically. "Well, now that we've gotten reunions outta the way. Can we eat?"

* * *

"You should take this time to get yourself acquainted with each of the house leaders. As well as take the time to familiarize yourself with the monastery, as it will be your new home from here on."

_So this is actually happening. I'm going to be a professor here._

Not much phased Byleth when it came to jobs she had taken in her life. She mostly just followed her father's lead from one job to the next. She never did anything outside of her realm of comfort, whether it be morally or physically. Something she was sure her father made sure to do. Jeralt might not have known it, but his example had instilled Byleth with a set of rules and morals of her own. Even if it didn't cover all areas of life.

It certainly didn't cover how to instruct other people. People around her age, in fact.

_Not that I know my own age. _

Small such thoughts popped up now and again. Small bits of sass that she typically kept to herself unless looking to throw her father off. Jeralt had more than once told Byleth that her brand of humor was 'strange'.

Setting the thought aside, Byleth bowed to Lady Rhea before she moved to meet Seteth and Alois, hoping to get further ideas for her next move.

"Ah, how is our new professor doing today?" Alois greeted her with a grin, his and Seteth's attention shifting to her. "Were you surprised that I suggested you for the job? It must have been quite a surprise!"

"I didn't expect it, no." Byleth answered honestly.

"Hah, yes, well, we were in quite a precarious position. We had another man for the job, but he ran away during that dustup with the bandits. Can't have someone like that be responsible for students, now can we?"

"Yes. Your defense of the children, at least, was admirable. Now, you should go and make your rounds. Greet the students and get to know them the best you can. You will be in charge of one of the Houses soon enough." Seteth's eyes were critical and suspicious, much as they were the previous day she had met him. Not that Byleth blamed him for it. She was a random mercenary now taking on the responsibility of a whole class of students, after all.

"I'll go and see them now," was Byleth's answer, Alois and Seteth bowing their heads in acceptance.

Byleth wandered into the reception hall, her eyes glazing across the sheer size of it all. She had been in several castles before, namely for jobs. But Garreg Mach was the grandest place she had yet to visit. Not to mention one of the busiests. Knights and students alike wandered through the halls and courtyard daily. It even had a small merchant's gathering right at the entrance. It was all a bit overwhelming for Byleth.

_Need to focus on my task. _Byleth shook her head, stepping out into the Officer's Academy area. Her eyes scanned the banners hanging down the walls. _The Blue Lions. The Black Eagles. The Golden Deer. And the Jade Whales._

She recalled what Manuela and Hanneman, her new coworkers, told her the previous day about each class.

"_The Black Eagle House is led by Edelgard von Hrsevelg. The Black Eagles are mainly inhabited by students from the Adrestian Empire. In fact, little Edelgard is actually next in line to become Emperor." Manuela explained, causing Byleth to raise a brow in mild surprise._

"_Then you have the Blue Lion House. The students there originate from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Its House leader is Prince Dimitri Blaiddyd, the future King." Hanneman explained this time. _

"_The next emperor and next king..?" Byleth repeated in mild disbelief._

"_Not only that, but the leader of the Golden Deer House is Claude von Riegan, grandson of the Duke Riegan, Leader of the Alliance. As I'm sure you've guessed, students there are for those from the Leicester Alliance." Manuela continued. _

"_To think that the next emperor, king, and sovereign duke are all attending the officer's academy in the same year. This is looking to be an interesting school year, indeed." Hanneman hummed in interest._

"_Seems risky to have so many heirs in one place." Byleth pointed out, putting a hand on her chin._

"_Perhaps. But I can think of no place safer for any of them to be, honestly. Besides, it also gives each leader a chance to get the perspective of each other's country, which will likely help with future relations between them." Manuela suggested._

"_That's true…" Byleth nodded in understanding. "So what about the Jade Whale House?" _

"_Ah, and now we get to the most interesting, in my opinion, development to come about this year!" Hanneman smiled with some eagerness. "The Jade Whale House was only conceived recently, as you may know. It was given life thanks to the Chief King of Molanu, Jaffa Matagi, who pleaded a case for its conception a little over five years ago."_

"_While all of the previous Houses are focused on a singular nation, the Jade Whale House is the first to accept students from severa; different kingdoms." Manuela continued. "Many people doubted they would comply, but somehow the nations of Dagda and, more shockingly, Almyra agreed to send us some children to act as students this year!"_

"_Correct! And they're led by the second prince of Molanu, Sione Matagi. Unlike his peers among the house leaders, he is the only one who isn't an heir to his throne, as his elder brother has taken on the role of king. Still, he seems to be able to carry himself as an equal to the other leaders without issue." Hanneman pointed out, holding his chin. "I look forward to seeing if they will be able to cooperate on the level of the other Houses, though."_

"_Yes. Though I have been wondering just where those other students came from. The only information we were given on them is that they hailed from the nations of Fodlan, but were still left rather vague." Manuela touched her chin in thought._

"_Not all students come bearing names as you well know, Manuela. Still, they all seem interesting on their own." _

Byleth tapped her chin, her eyes landing on the final banner. The Jade Whale House banner was unique when compared to the others, as it was designed with patterns similar to the tattoo on Sione's arm.

_Molanu seemed interesting from what he said. _

Byleth may not have shown it, but she had been fascinated by the cultural differences between their lands. Though she knew that Sione was fishing for something out of Byleth, she had nothing to give him. She was genuine in her interest, and put it on display.

_He didn't seem interested in my services, though. Still, it's worth looking into._

With that in mind, Byleth moved first toward the Jade Whale House.

"Hey! Taking a look around?"

Byleth blinked,turning around to see Sione standing close by, giving her a toothy grin.

"Yes. I was interested in your House, in fact." Byleth answered.

"In _my _House? I'm flattered!" Sione said, walking up and crossing his arms over his chest. "I was actually looking forward to talking to you about just that. Maybe find a way to scout you before the others claw for you."

"Oh?" Byleth tilted her head in question. "I thought you weren't interested in my services."

"As a mercenary? Can't say that I am." Sione shrugged while keeping his smile. "But as a _teacher? _Now you've got my attention. Judging from what I know about the other professors, you're the one with actual experience throughout Fodlan. Lots of it, too."

Byleth noted that, in contrast to Claude, Sione's grin was always big and welcoming. As if inviting someone to talk to him. She guessed it was a practiced grin to disarm people he met. It certainly looked genuine, but she couldn't say for sure how true that was.

Still, she couldn't deny that Sione had grabbed her attention. In a way, his grin was working.

"I see. Then would you introduce me to your class?"

"As you wish, milady." Sione bowed dramatically before waving for her to follow after him. "Manuela told us that only us House leaders know you're gonna be our professor. Let's keep it that way, shall we?"

"Okay. But why?"

"Professor Manuela had a point. It's more fun that way," Sione gave a quick wink and chuckle. They soon entered the Jade Whale classroom, several of the students scattered around, talking amongst themselves.

"Allow me to introduce my lil' cousin and aspiring Witch Doctor of Molanu, Nafana Mauga." Sione led her to a young woman who shared SIone's complexion but bore an exotic beauty.

"You didn't need a flashy intro for me, geez." Nafana pushed Sione's shoulder before smiling at Byleth. "Nice to meet you, though. Thanks for keeping this fool from getting himself killed."

"It was nothing big. I'm Byleth. It's a pleasure to meet you," Byleth bowed in greeting. "What do you mean 'Witch Doctor'?"

"Ah, that? It's a title for the strongest magic users on Molanu. Nafana here's looking to be the best." SIone adorned a proud grin as he spoke, wrapping an arm around Nafana's shoulders. Byleth could see that this was more genuine than previous displays, seeing a high amount of familial affection etween the two.

"Oh, stop it! You sound like my mom talking like that," Nafana laughed, shrugging off his arm. Though it was clear that she was pleased by his words. "So, setting that aside, are you going to be joining our classes? I figure that's why Si'ne's showing you around."

"it remains… unclear." Byleth answered, technically not lying.

Sione seemed pleased that she kept quiet about her position. "Yeah, she's in a funny situation. So I figured that while she's here, I'd give her a tour of our class."

"Ah, I see. Well, I hope you get along with the others. Come to me if you need help with anything, the rest of our class is a little 'funny'." Nafana let out a giggle before nodding to Sione and taking her leave.

"You two seem close." Byleth noted with interest.

"Yeah, me and No'fa are practically siblings. We grew up doing everything together. She even decided to follow me here." Sione laughed, guiding her further into the hall to meet two young women. "Hey girls. Thought you'd like to meet someone."

"Ah, is this the merc who saved you, Sio?" The tanner of the two, though with a different skin tone compared to Sione, spoke first. "Hi, i'm Hapi."

"And I am Constance von Nuvelle! Heir to the Nuvelle household!" The blonde girl turned out to be quite boisterous as she spoke, holding her chin up like a true noble. "We are ever in your gratitude for bringing back the house leaders safely!"

"I'm Byleth. And it was nothing."

"Hey! Why's everyone assuming she saved me?I'd say she worked more with me than saved me." Sione huffed out in mock offense, crossing his arms over his chest. "Back me up here."

Byleth spared a side glance away. "He was crying for help when I found him." She looked back up at Sione who stared at her in awe. Before breaking out in laughter.

"So you do have a sense of humor! Man, and here I thought you were just stiff." Sione grinned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Huh. Yeah, I wouldn't have guessed either that she does." Hapi seemed entertained, albeit moderately.

"Oh, was she speaking in jest? And here I thought you might have fallen into such despair, Sione." Constance raised a brow in mild confusion.

"No, of course not. She's kidding." SIone rolled his eyes, motioning past the girls. "Anyways, gotta meet the rest of the class. see ya, girls."

"Nice to meet you." Byleth waved as she was dragged over to two other men, one of similar size to Sione while the other was more slender and close to her size. "Hey, fellas. This here's Byleth, the merc who helped me out. Byleth, this big guy is Balthus and the little guy is Yuri. Both pretty sketchy guys but not bad."

"Hey, who're you callin' sketchy?" The tall one huffed. "I just like to enjoy myself when I can! Nothin' sketchy about me!"

"Save for the insurmountable debt, of course." the smaller of the two smirked as the other tensed. "A pleasure to meet you, all the same. From the tales I've heard spun, you're quite the impressive mercenary. Perhaps you might consider some work on the side should you have the time."

"Work?" Byleth raised a brow in wonder.

"Hey, chill uce. She's trying to settle in." Sione chuckled before pulling her away. "Let's meet the last two before these two pull you into something else."

"Hey, don't go chatting the new girl up all by yourself!" Byleth heard Balthus complain behind them.

"Ignore him. He's a real skirt chaser. Though not the worst one in Garreg Mach." SIone chuckled, walking over to the last two in the class, a dark skinned girl meeting her eyes with a heated gaze. _She doesn't seem pleased._

"Now this is Zai and-"

"Save your breath." The girl scoffed, pushing off the pillar and taking her leave. Byleth watched her quietly before turning back to SIone and the aforementioned Zai.

"That's Kharin, sorry about her. She would have preferred you hadn't helped me out." Sione shrugged. "She came all the way from Almyra but not particularly because she wanted to."

"I'm not sure if she's that cold. She's just generally cranky like that." Zai smirked before turning to Byleth. "So I take it you're the merc everyone's talking about? You're certainly not what I was expecting."

"What were you expecting?" Byleth asked, genuinely curious.

"Someone as fierce looking as Kharin. But looking into your eyes, i can tell you're the type who can switch on at a moment's notice."

"Zai here's a prince in Dagda. Don't let his stern face fool you, he's actually a big softie."

"Kiss my ass Sione." Zai smirked, pushing the taller man's shoulder. "So what're you trying to get out of her? Hoping she'll be part of our class?"

"Somethin' like that."SIone shrugged, looking at Byleth. "In the end, that's up to her. Anyway, we'll get out of your hair. Come, milady."

"Nice to meet you." Byleth nodded as she parted, following sIone back out of the classroom. Sione had been right when he said they were a bit of an odd group. So many different and somewhat colorful personalities. She wondered what kind of synergy existed among them when working together. It was easy to guess that Kharin didn't particularly care much for the others, but some of them did seem closer than others.

_With the different backgrounds, They all seem to respect Sione, but time will tell how much._

"Thank you for guiding me." Byleth said gratefully.

"Of course! I do hope you'll consider our House. I'd love to have your experience helping us out." Sione extended a hand, the two shaking. "But hey, if you pick any of the others instead, no hard feelings. I'll just have to embarrass whatever House you do pick and make you regret it."

Byleth felt the smallest twitch at the edge of her mouth, giving a short nod. "I'll see you around, Sione."

She watched as Sione walked past, heading back to his classroom. _A lot of interesting people in that class. Still, I should at least check with the other Houses._

* * *

"How are you enjoying your time at the academy thus far? I hope you have found our halls brimming with the vitality of well-intentioned souls."

_That was a mouthful. _

"Hm. I suppose it is time for you to elect one of our houses, then." Seteth spoke, his voice professional as well as wary. "But I must note that I do not approve of someone with so little traceable history as yourself being charged with such a task. But, it is what the archbishop desires."

"Though before we do. I believe we are still missing one of our instructors…" Rhea looked at Seteth in question. "Where exactly is-"

"Gah! Apologies for running late, your holiness!"

Byleth turned around to see a blond haired man huffing for breath, hunched over on his knees. She noted that he wore a neat selection of armor, as well as his rather long face and jaw.

"Ah, Arnold. It is quite alright. Please, come and join us."

"Of course, Lady Rhea." this Arnold said, jogging up and standing next to Manuela. "I was terribly inconvenienced today when one of the stalls by the front lost its wheel and piled me with its inventory."

"Good heavens! Are you alright?" Hanneman asked in concern, only for the man to laugh boisterously.

"Of course! A hero of justice won't be stopped by a few bags of grain and manure! Though um… I do need to bathe soon." Arnold cleared his throat awkwardly, biting his lip.

"No kidding." Manuela put a hand over her nose before looking at Byleth. "Oh, by the way, this is the final instructor you've yet to meet. He was out on business the past couple of days for the church."

"Good day, milady! I've been fully informed on your arrival! I hope we'll get along as coworkers!" Arnold saluted with a white toothed smile.

"Nice to meet you." Byleth nodded. _Strange guy._

"Now that everyone is here. You may choose which House you wish to instruct." Seteth said, drawing their attention back to their original discussion.

"The Black Eagle, the Blue Lion, the Golden Deer and the Jade Whale. All houses unique in their own way. I hope you spent adequate time getting to know each of them," said Manuela.

"Since you're the newest instructor, we have all agreed to allow you first pick of whichever House you see fit." Hanneman said.

"We're ready to take any house, so it's best that you pick one that might fit more to you." Arnold declared, giving Byleth a thumbs up.

_Whichever house I want…. _Byleth tilted her head to the side, cupping her chin in her palm. The decision was a surprising amount of pressure, now that it came down to it. Claude, Edelgard, Dimitri and Sione had each made strong cases for their classes, each one rather peculiar in many ways.

But again, Byleth found her interest drawn to the Jade Whales and Sione. A House full of nobles from different lands was a rare opportunity, as was working with a Maloan native in general. The prince was a bit of an oddity, coming off as relaxed while constantly testing her. Though, when it came down to it, he wasn't afraid to make his wants known. Byleth wanted to know more about him, and the rest of his class for that matter.

And so the choice became easy.

"I pick the Jade Whale House."

* * *

"_Raindrops! They hamper my vision… falling down, and causing incision..."*_

Sione smiled a bit more smugly than he meant to. Even though no one was around to see it, he was feeling quite content with the day as a whole. Word had quickly traveled to him that the newest professor had elected to teach the Jade Whale House. While some might consider it a small achievement, Sione couldn't help but feel proud that he was able to convince Byleth to teach his class.

_Maybe it wasn't all me, bu~t it works out the same either way. _

"_In my mind… while we say we have time~"_

***knock knock***

Sione swung his legs off his bed and stood up, humming the rest of his song as he moved to the door. With a gentle twist and pull, he opened the door to a rather stone faced Edelgard, her lavender eyes attempting to pierce through his like an arrow.

"Hey, El~! Right on time!" Sione grinned, attempting to look friendly but failing to keep some of the smugness off his face.

"My punctuality has never been in question." Edelgard huffed, walking inside with her arms crossed.

Hubert walked in soon after, looking at Sione sideways and sighing. "Do try to contain yourself a bit."

"I have no idea what you mean, Hubert. I'm perfectly contained." Sione chuckled, closing the door behind them. Edelgard moved to his bed and plopped down on it, crossing her legs and keeping her eyes away from the Maloan prince. "Somethin' wrong, El? You seem a little… down."

_Guess I can't help myself._

Edelgard sighed, turning her gaze back to Sione and narrowing it. "You know exactly what's wrong."

"Honestly, it's way above my head. I don't… oh~ I know what it is…" Sione's grin grew larger, visibly irritating the Adrestian princess. "You're a little jealous that the merc picked my house, huh?"

"_Jealous _would be overstating it." Edelgard huffed, turning her head away again.

"Come on, Hubert. Tell me I'm wrong." Sione smirked, nudging the retainer with his elbow.

Sione saw Hubert's eyes twitch to his princess briefly before looking back at Sione. "I cannot confirm nor deny whether such a statement has merit." Sione gave Hubert credit for being able to keep a straight face as he said that.

"Hubert!" Edelgard hissed at more or less being exposed.

"Hah! I knew it," Sione did a little celebratory dance, drawing a deadpan look from Edelgard. Seeing that she was actually put out by Byleth's choice, Sione dropped the dance and sighed. "Come on now, El. Joking aside, it's not that big of a deal."

"Perhaps if you hadn't said you had no interest in her services, I might have believed you." Edelgard's glare could melt an ice block.

"Well, I wasn't when it came to mercenary work. But you can't blame me for wanting a merc as my teacher when she's got a ton of experience behind her." Sione spoke honestly. "Different set of circumstances, you know?"

"... I suppose so." Edelgard relented, her eyes losing a bit of their fire. "My apologies. I was only looking forward to getting to know her better myself."

"I understand. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to try throughout the year." Sione encouraged, leaning back against the wall. "I doubt she'll stay a teacher here forever, so you may get a chance to recruit her yet."

"Perhaps. In that case, I do hope you won't get too attached to her. I may just seize her from under your nose." Edelgard's confidence radiated from her as she spoke, a familiar sight in Sione's eyes.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm pretty sure your real competition are-"

***knock knock***

Sione drew his attention back to his door, "Ah, about time." He moved to the door, drawing it open to see Nafana on the other side. "Took you long enough."

"Sorry. Mercedes stopped me in the hall to talk for a few and we got carried away." Nafana chuckled, walking into the room and nodding to the other occupants. "Hubert. Edelgard."

"Nafana." Hubert gave the smallest smile in greeting.

"Well, now that you're here, I suppose we can get this over with." Edelgard stood from her seat, putting her hands together.

"Ah, not just yet. We've got one more guest to wait for." Sione said, raising his right hand.

"You invited him to this as well?" Edelgard's brow furrowed in disapproval.

"He's part of this plan as much as any of us. If we have to discuss something, he's gonna be part of it." Sione affirmed, beginning to close his door.

"Speaking of…" A hand stopped the door from closing, Sione immediately drawing it back to reveal Claude waiting on the other side. "Am I running a bit late?"

"You are." Edelgard fixed him with a critical glare, causing Sione to raise a hand.

"Easy El. He's just in time." Sione sighed before turning to Claude, the two clasping hands together before he walked inside.

"Sorry, sorry. Not all of us can be so perfectly on time as you, princess." Claude gave his usual thin smile. "By the way, congrats on your new teacher, Sione."

"Thanks."

"Oh? Tell us, how have you been spending your time up until this point?" Hubert asked with skeptical eyes.

"Why, lounging around of course! Taking in that fresh Fodlan air, chatting up some of our esteemed classmates. Truly a full day of work for me."

"Honestly…" Edelgard sighed in disbelief.

"Okay, okay. Let's all take a step back and remember why we're here." Sione said, hoping to stop a petty argument before it started.

"He's right. I think the more important discussion is what happened with those thieves." Nafana said, turning a glare toward Edelgard. The Adrestian princess frowned, but met Nafana's gaze with a guilty expression. "You said that the bandits were going to just be for show!"

"She's right. I almost relaxed a bit too much until one took a good swing at our former teacher." Claude said, his expression more neutral by comparison. "We're lucky no one on our side was hurt too badly."

Edelgard released a short breath, bowing her head slightly. "You're right. I owe you all an apology. The plan wasn't for the bandits to attack us seriously, merely make a show of attacking us and robbing our company. When I saw them attack our guards, I became quite alarmed as well."

"What exactly did you tell the bandits when you hired them?" Sione asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I gave specific orders to do as I just said. I also told them specifically not to hurt a single person in the party or they would receive no payment." she said, shaking her head in disappointment. "For some reason, they didn't take my orders so seriously."

"I can attest to the wording of her orders, as well. Lady Edelgard made it clear to the bandit leader that no one was to be harmed." Hubert said, standing in defense next to her.

"Come on, guys. You all know El wouldn't have put us all in danger on purpose. Hell, one of the bandits tried to kill _her _at the end of it!" Sione said, standing by Edelgard's side as well and showing his trust.

"I know, I know! I was just… I'm sorry, Edie. I'm not doubting you, but… you have to understand that I was scared when I heard the bandits went to such lengths to pursue you guys." Nafana sighed, rubbing her arm.

"Yeah, you guys are right. I'm sure that the bandits just got a little overzealous when they attacked." Claude nodded, stroking his chin. "Still, no one gave me the specific reason as to why we had to deal with the bandits in the first place."

"Because **they **have been putting pressure on me lately." Edelgard said, her voice falling low as she spoke. "If I could have avoided it, I would have. But I needed to show that I wasn't deviating from **their **plan."

"Right... right. Those guys." Claude hummed, crossing his arms. "Well, at least you were able to accomplish your mission. And hey, we even got a new mercenary as our professor! Well, more specifically, Sione did. Congrats on getting her to pick your house, by the way."

"Thanks, man." Sione smiled in amusement.

"Speaking of her, she's certainly become a wild card in our situation." Edelgard said, holding her chin in thought. "I imagined she might ask her to join the Knights of Seiros. But to assign her as a professor here… what is that woman thinking?"

"Yeah, I've been trying to figure that out myself. Somethin' real fishy about it. I mean, I did hear that Alois recommended her personally, but… I dunno." Sione agreed, tapping his elbow.

"I suppose that's another thing to add to our list of things to figure out." Claude suggested, giving them all a smile. "For now, we'll have to leave that job to Sione, as he is going to be the closest with our new friend this year."

"I'll keep an eye on our new professor. I doubt she knows much about it herself, but Lady Rhea might reveal something in time that she might share." Sione nodded.

"And we'll continue about our usual business, acting as if we barely know one another." Edlegard said as well before looking at Sione. "Remember, you may only call me El when we're alone or behind closed doors like this."

"I know, I know. We'll keep it at Edie in front of people." Sione agreed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Oh, can I call you El now?" Claude's question was met with a deadpan look from Edelgard and Hubert, the Alliance heir raising his hands in surrender. "What? We're comrades in arms now, aren't we? Striving for the same goal. I figured a little camaraderie wouldn't hurt."

"... We'll see how events progress between us as the year goes on." Edelgard sighed.

"Well, I guess that's better than a straight out rejection." Claude chuckled before turning toward the door. "Now, before we wrap this meeting up, I've gotta ask: have we gotten a read on Dimitri yet?"

Sione's lips tightened, sparing a glance at Edelgard before shaking his head. "Not quite yet. I'm still trying to figure him out completely."

"I don't believe it's something we can rush to talk to him about. If we mistaken whatever goals he has for the future, we could end up exposing our plans." Edelgard pointed out, earning a nod from Claude.

"That's something we agree on. I can't say I've figured him out completely for myself either."

"He seems simple on the surface, but… I can tell there's a bit more behind that mask of his." Sione admitted, scratching his cheek. "And from what Felix has said, there's probably a lot more to it than we think."

"Well, we're counting on you to figure him out. You've got a lot of time, but remember that getting Dimitri is key to our plans." Claude reminded him.

"Yes. It's as you've said before. We'll need the Kingdom on our side if we're going to see our ambitions bare fruit. And since you're the best when it comes to people, this job is solely in your hands, Sione." Edelgard added.

"O'ka. I coulda gone without all the pressure, you know?" Sione dryly chuckled, but gave a grim nod. "But yeah… don't worry. I'll figure him out soon enough."

"I have faith you will, my friend. With that, I think we can call this meeting to a close." Claude said, turning to them and giving a dramatic bow. "I'll be seeing you all tomorrow. I look forward to an eventful year." With that, Claude stepped out of the room, leaving the four behind. Once he was gone, Edelgard released a small breath.

"And you're _sure _we can trust Claude? You know I don't distrust your judgement, but he's… well…"

"Claude?" Sione smirked. "I know. I know that he can seem pretty shady with the way he acts and plots all the time. But I can confidently say that Claude is someone we can trust. In fact, I'd even go as far as saying I trust him as much as I trust you, El."

"Truly? That deeply?" Edelgard was genuinely surprised by his words, a bead of sweat trailing down her brow.

"That is a rather bold claim considering your history with Lady Edelgard. Now if only we knew more of his background, we might be able to see just why." Hubert pointed out in suspicion.

"There is a lot you guys don't know about him. But we're respecting his wishes." Nafana said, being firm in their stance of trust.

"Look, you know that I'm being as honest as I can be when I back him. But there are some secrets that I know that I can't share about him. Just as I haven't told him all of your secrets either." Sione retorted.

Edelgard's expression softened at that, the Adrestian princess giving a short nod in understanding. "You're right. I suppose I'll take your word for it and believe he will not jeopardize our plan."

"He won't. And thank you." Sione said, moving to Edelgard and placing a hand on her shoulder. "We're going to be working together for a while. Maybe even longer than this year, if things go the way we want. You should take the opportunity to get to know Claude. You'll see he's a good guy."

"Perhaps… I will take some steps to at least get along." Edelgard relented.

"Good. That's the best I can ask for." Sione smiled, pulling his arm back.

"Well, I suppose that is all I have to ask for tonight. We'll be taking our leave now." Edelgard said, motioning for Hubert to follow. "We'll see you in the morning, Si'ne."

"Get a good rest, El. We've got some busy work ahead of us."

**To be continued…**

**UPDATE: Well, as you can now see, the Ashen Wolves were effectively worked into the Jade Whale house! Don't worry, an explanation will come for how and why they joined, and the DLC will definitely be explored with time. Though I may do it in a side story or it can be in the main story. Still debating on it. Sorry if your Awakening or Fates character was taken out, but it felt necessary. For now, only Arthur and Rinkah's expy's remain. **

**Now, (as originally said) Sione is working behind the scenes with Edelgard and Claude. He has a long history with them both, though it's not common knowledge. The three are about to make some ambitious moves together, so we'll see how that pans out for them in the end.. **

**And now to the language translation!**

**O'ka=Oh, god, or a surprised expression**

**fasi=smack**

**Also, the song that Sione's singing at the beginning of the final scene is a song by Iz Kamakawiwo'ole, known mostly for his stellar Over the Rainbow song, called Star of Gladness. **

**Furthermore, in the future so people know, that I think that I will likely post Support conversations of the Jade Whale students in separate chapters, almost like a side story rather than bogging the main story with support conversations. It will let me focus solely on the supports rather than worrying about working them in during regular chapters. If you've got any recommendations for supports and pairings, feel free to share! **

**UPDATE: Speaking of pairings, I'm going to be posting a poll up to decide who Sione will be paired with. I have been having a lot of trouble deciding on who, so I'll leave it up to you guys. The candidates are Byleth, Edelgard, lysithea, Dorothea and Constance. Itll make it easier to know who to give him more personal time with in the main story. There will also be an option to leave him single, which will kind of work with his character (which will be explained in a support). Even if he doesn't end up with someone, he'll still get supports with other characters made.**

**EDIT: So... this is awkward. But I had forgotten that I had plans for Dorothea with someone else previously. Forgive me, but I'll be taking her out of the voting. I feel even more bad about this because she was actually winning. Yikes. Really sorry to anyone who was hoping for her to be the main romantic interest for Sione. If it helps a bit, she'll definitely get a support with him. Maybe I'll give an alternate S ending with her post story? I dunno, I just feel bad lol sorry again. **

**Anyways, that's it for now. Thank you all for reading, I do hope you enjoyed it! Be sure to leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind! **


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